Park Trail Research Articles

Thoughtful paths of Nature Park „Ogres Zilie kalni”

In many countries around the world, urbanization has led to a disconnection from nature within major cities and this has prompted increased research into the significance of nature in the daily lives of urban residents. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, people began to visit the walking trails en masse and the habit has continued even after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study, which was conducted in July of 2023 is a part of a broader research initiative aimed at enhancing recreational opportunities and optimizing the physical and wellness benefits provided by walking paths. The research is centered on the "Ogres Zilie kalni" nature park, which features recreational and activity trails. For a majority of residents, these walking paths and ski tracks are vital for recreation. The research's objective is to outline the planning principles for the nature park's trail network, drawing not only from landscape architecture but also from the field of environmental psychology. This holistic approach is expected to yield better recreational outcomes and subsequently improve human health. The primary goal of this study is to investigate how different types of nature walking trails impact human attention dynamics. Using Schulte's Tables, a psychological method, the study assessed how various stimuli in trail planning and route selection influence human attention. The research results do not offer a definitive answer regarding the influence of path type on attention dynamics. However, the findings indicate that attention dynamics tend to improve after the second or third measurement, typically occurring at 20-30 minute intervals. This aligns with the theory that 20 minutes is sufficient for attention reset. Attention dynamics then diminish towards the end of the walk due to physical exhaustion. It was hypothesized that adequate rest could lead to improved dynamics. In the modelling of the walking path network and route selection, cognitive factors such as the purpose of the walk, group participation, individual walks, social interactions, and the perception of the three-dimensional spatial environment serve as the foundation for designing the layout of walking paths. The study raises intriguing and complex research questions, further complicated by the diverse groups involved, including students, families, and the elderly. Social factors play a pivotal role in determining the optimal path for both fundamental research and practical applications. Understanding the mechanisms and information sources guiding decision-making in path selection should encompass not only psychological but also social aspects. This comprehensive approach will contribute to a better understanding of path planning for psychological wellness and the cultivation of emotionally positive behavioural patterns.

Using geospatial trajectories to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the associations between environmental attributes and runnability of park trails

The worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the associated social distancing measures have produced alterations in park visits of individuals, as well as their park-based physical activity (e.g. running exercise). Although studies on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in running activity patterns are becoming an emerging focus, less is known about how these changes are related to the environmental attributes of parks before and after the pandemic, the knowledge of which is essential to planning green infrastructure that better supports physical activities. Therefore, we employed a volunteered geographic information approach to investigate the runnability of park trails in Shenzhen, utilizing self-tracking routes from Strava, in order to uncover the associations between trail characteristics and park features with the running intensity before and after the pandemic. Multilevel regression model analyses revealed that trail network connectivity was the only environmental attribute indicating consistent and positive associations with running intensity. Blue space density was positively correlated with running intensity in urban parks but indicated no significant association in forest parks before the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic era, population density was positively related to running intensity in urban and forest parks. However, after the pandemic, the associations between running behaviours and population density remained positive in forest parks but turned insignificant in urban parks. The outbreak of the pandemic also altered the influence of other park features (e.g. park shape and trail density) on running intensity. The evidence-based knowledge provides planners with significant insights into pandemic-resilient park planning for the post-COVID era.

Impartiality and fair play revisited

Impartiality and fair play revisited

여름철 계룡산국립공원 탐방로의 열쾌적성 및 어메니티 관리 연구

This study was conducted to understand the weather characteristics of the mountain environment and the thermal comfort of Gyeryongsan National Park trail and to provide information on activity time, activity space, and activity amount. For the analysis of the thermal comfort of the trail, the temperature of the city center in summer, the average temperature of the National Park Disaster Prevention Weather System (AWS), and the trail. Also, Microclimate elements and canopy closure were also measured in four major trails in Gyeryongsan National Park. After investigating a total of 240 points, thermal comfort was identified. When comparing the average temperature of the city center, National Park AWS, and trail, the average temperature was higher in the order of the city center, Gabsa AWS, Donghaksa AWS, Gabsa Trail, and Donghaksa Trail. As a result, it means that the thermal pleasure experienced by visitors should be considered. According to a survey of four major trails, the average canopy closure is Donghaksa~nammaetop route was high in the order of Donghaksa~Gwaneumbong route, Gabsa~Yeoncheonbong route and Gabsa~Geumjandigogae route. When PMV(Predicted Mean Vote) is 2.8MET, The PMV was highter in the order of Gabsa~Geumjandigogae route, Gabsa~ Yeoncheonbong route, Donghaksa~nammaetop route, Donghaksa~Gwaneumbong route. Through the survey, time information, spatial information, and activity information with high thermal comfort could be presented. By grasping the thermal comfort characteristics of the trail, we intend to lay the foundation for forest trail management measures that can increase the amenity of the trail.

MeadoWatch: a long-term community-science database of wildflower phenology in Mount Rainier National Park

We present a long-term and high-resolution phenological dataset from 17 wildflower species collected in Mt. Rainier National Park, as part of the MeadoWatch (MW) community science project. Since 2013, 457 unique volunteers and scientists have gathered data on the timing of four key reproductive phenophases (budding, flowering, fruiting, and seeding) in 28 plots over two elevational gradients alongside popular park trails. Trained volunteers (87.2%) and University of Washington scientists (12.8%) collected data 3–9 times/week during the growing season, using a standardized method. Taxonomic assessments were highly consistent between scientists and volunteers, with high accuracy and specificity across phenophases and species. Sensitivity, on the other hand, was lower than accuracy and specificity, suggesting that a few species might be challenging to reliably identify in community-science projects. Up to date, the MW database includes 42,000+ individual phenological observations from 17 species, between 2013 and 2019. However, MW is a living dataset that will be updated through continued contributions by volunteers, and made available for its use by the wider ecological community.

Measuring vegetation greenery in park using iPhone panoramic image and a new green vegetation extraction index

Park greenery contributes substantial health benefits for local residents. Few data source however is available to quantitatively measure the vegetation greenery along park trails. In this study, a typical park region in Homestead, Florida was selected as the study area. The iPhone panoramic images in 400 randomly generated sampling sites were examined to depict the vegetation greenery along park trails. A green vegetation extraction index (GVEI) was proposed to distinguish the green vegetation in the images, and the green vegetation index was computed to grade the sampling sites based on the GVEI results. The results demonstrated that the overall (kappa coefficient) accuracies of green vegetation classification in the sampling sites using the GVEI all exceeded 0.90 (0.87). The GVEI values obtained from iPhone and commonly used Google Street View (GSV) images showed a high correlation coefficient of 0.94, which indicated that the iPhone panoramic images were compatible with the GSV images, and suited for green vegetation identification and monitoring. The green view index of sampling sites showed discrepant patterns, 50 sites possessed the green view index of more than 30 %, indicating that people in these areas can enjoy visual and spiritual pleasure. Park managers and planners may strive to improve the vegetation greenery in the other sites to offer better health benefits for people. The method established in this study can be used as a reference for vegetation greenery monitoring in other parks.

Carrying capacity and impact indicators: analysis and suggestions for sustainable tourism in protected areas – Brazil

ABSTRACT Protected Areas (PA) are widely studied, especially related to effectiveness strategies for environmental conservation and ecotourism management. Research on tourism planning and management in natural environments is fundamental. Several methodologies have been created to obtain data for indicating guidelines for the management and planning of PA. This paper analyzes, discusses and makes complementary suggestions to the carrying capacity methodology developed by Cifuentes et al. (1999). Our aim was to lower the subjectivity content of Carrying Capacity (Cifuentes et al. 1999), and to incorporate several impact indicators in the monitoring process. Data were collected on Ibitipoca State Park trails in August 2018 and April 2019. Results demonstrated that flooding, soil surface degradation, exposed tree roots and canopy layer are core for carrying capacity visitors, totaling 959 tourists per day. Water quality was altered through the parameters: Specific Conductivity (966 mS/cm) and Total Dissolved Solids (624 mg/L) and Conductivity (173 mS/cm) and pH (3.69). The discussions and results highlight the need for a broader approach to the physical parameters, the adoption of qualitative variables, the increase of biological and ecological factors. Therefore, the analysis of the carrying capacity methodology aims to assist more comprehensive strategies integrated with planning and monitoring of PA.

Promoting Companion Animal Leash Compliance on an Urban Park Trail System

Visitors to many local, state, and national parks that include important natural and cultural resources are increasingly being visited by visitors with their companion animals, particularly domestic dogs (Canus familiaris Linnaeus). Visitors and their companion dogs are legitimate and welcome visitors to parks. Like all visitors and all uses of such sites, park managers are charged with minimizing impacts to park resources while also providing opportunities for visitors to enjoy and gain an appreciation for those resources. This paper describes a positive management technique for promoting leashing of companion animal dogs by visitors to a unit of the National Park Service located in the large urban setting of Jacksonville, Florida. Providing a positive and welcoming atmosphere for visitors with companion dogs can facilitate enjoyment and promote diligent care for park resources by this growing group of park visitors while minimizing potential impacts to resources as well as ensuring safety to all visitors, including their animal companions. This positive approach can additionally assist park efforts to create a sense of community among all its visitors.Daniel R. Tardona. 2012. “Promoting Companion Animal Leash Compliance on an Urban Park Trail System.” Natural Areas Journal 32(2):215-217.

북한산국립공원 탐방로 소리등급도 제작 연구

The soundscape of national parks play an important role in preserving habitats and providing relaxation to visitors. However, several national parks in Korea are surrounded by large cities and sound emissions from the road traffic of these adjoining cities. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed the acoustical-environmental factors and described the sound grade classifications of the Bukhansan National Park Trails, located in Seoul, for managing the soundscape. The acoustical factor measurements were carried out in five sections (15 ㎞) of the national park along with a mobile application (rambler) for collecting trail GIS data. Environmental factors including building coverage ratio, longitudinal distance from the road, and green coverage ratio were obtained from a Seoul biotope map and digital map data. The sound grades of trails were classified using 4 factors, which were extracted from a factor analysis on 13 variables and 757 sites. Moreover, for grouping the sound grades, the K-means method was used to examine the characteristics of the five groups.

Jogging, nordic walking and going for a walk - inter-disciplinary recommendations to keep people physically active in times of the covid-19 lockdown in Tyrol, Austria

Physical activity has a strong impact on physical and mental health. It prevents diseases, strengthens the immune system, and helps to reduce stress. Moreover, physical activity increases the psychological well-being, with outdoor exercise showing even more positive effects. In times when national regulations also restrict the possibilities for exercise, the authors—referring to scientifically sound findings and adhering to the current social distancing rules—recommend allowing moderate outdoor sports activities (jogging, Nordic walking, going for a walk) and the use of park trails, hiking trails, and forest roads in easy terrains.

Spatial ecology of copperhead snakes (Agkistrodon contortrix) in response to urban park trails

Abstract Urban forests and parks are important for recreation and may serve as a natural corridor for commuters. The consequences of human-mediated disturbance in natural areas are documented for avian and mammalian species. Less is known about the consequences of human disturbance on reptile species, specifically snakes, residing in natural refuges within the urban matrix. Thus, we examined the spatial activity of copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) in regard to pedestrian trails within an urban forest. We used radio telemetry to track snakes during the active season and estimated distances moved in between relocations, distances to the nearest trail and home range size for individuals. We found sex and season, but not distance to the nearest trail, affected the distance snakes moved. In addition, we observed a weak, positive relationship between home range size and average distance to the trail. Sex, season and body condition did not explain snake distance to the trail, but individual patterns were variable for snakes compared to random locations generated from snake relocations. Our study indicates copperheads may be tolerant of low-level human disturbances found in an urban forest. Further work should be done to quantify levels of disturbance, such as trail use, and compare the behavior of reptiles across urban park types and locations.

Effects of artificial light on the larvae of the firefly Lamprigera sp. in an urban city park, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract Firefly populations are threatened globally by habitat alteration, pesticide use, and anthropogenic sources of light. Lamprigera fireflies were recently reported at an urban city park in Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia. Here we report on the responses of Lamprigera larvae to artificial light from street lamps on paved park trails. Larvae were located farther from artificial light sources when street lamps were illuminated than when they were not, and mostly where light intensities were lowest, off park trails. Larvae that were located within the direct field of illumination tended to be immobile, whereas, when street lamps were turned off, they actively travelled paved trails. Larvae positioned directly in the path of downwelling light from street lamps at dusk may therefore experience an effectively longer diurnal period, limited time for active foraging, and greater exposure to pedestrian traffic.

Classic Rock Tours 2. Exploring a Famous Ophiolite: A Guide to the Bay of Islands Igneous Complex in Gros Morne National Park, Western Newfoundland, Canada

Ophiolites are complex assemblages of ultramafic and mafic igneous rocks that are now widely considered to be pieces of ancient oceanic crust that were emplaced on to the continents courtesy of global plate tectonics. However, most examples were originally considered parts of enormous layered mafic intrusions and so were interpreted in that light. The new understanding of ophiolites in the late 1960s and early 1970s was a crucial part of the global Earth Science revolution, and they are now central to all plate tectonic models developed for ancient orogenic belts. Although their equivalence to oceanic crust is now well established, many ophiolites may not be ‘typical’ examples of such, and not all examples are identical. Most ophiolites likely formed in subduction-influenced environments rather than at mid-ocean ridges. Ophiolites remain important foci for research in the 21st century, and many questions remain about their environments of formation and especially their mechanisms of emplacement onto the continents. Although it was not the first to be seen as a relic of a vanished ocean, the Bay of Islands Igneous Complex in western Newfoundland is one of the best preserved and most easily accessible ophiolites in the world. In the late 20th century, research work in this area proved highly influential in understanding the oceanic crust, and in unravelling the diachronous events involved in the progressive destruction of an ancient stable continental margin as arcs and microcontinental blocks were accreted along it. Parts of the Tablelands Ophiolite lie within Gros Morne National Park, which is a UNESCO world heritage site because of its importance to our understanding of global tectonics. The wider region around the park also includes the Cabox Aspiring Geopark Project, now also in the process of seeking recognition through UNESCO. This article provides background information on ophiolites and the development of our ideas about them, and links this material to four self-guided field excursions that allow examination of many classic features. These excursions range from a collection of roadside outcrops, to some relatively easy hiking excursions on official National Park trails, and eventually to a more challenging off-trail hike that ascends to the summit plateau of the Tablelands to visit rare exposures of the Moho (the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, i.e. the lower boundary of the Earth’s crust) and the underlying upper mantle rocks. Collectively, the field stops should allow geologically-minded visitors to experience some amazing geology in a spectacular and sometimes surreal landscape.

Analyzing Visitors’ Preferences and Evaluation of Satisfaction Based on Different Attributes, with Forest Trails in the Akasawa National Recreational Forest, Central Japan

For forest park managers and designers, it is very important to provide forest trails and high–quality forest landscapes that meet visitor’s needs. In this study, based on demographic characteristics, our main purpose is to analyze whether the preferences of visitors for different trails differ, and to discuss whether forest park visitors’ satisfaction is affected when preferences for choosing trails change, mainly in order to improve knowledge about visitors’ needs for forest walking spaces. Through this analysis, we can aid in the planning and management of forest parks to improve visitors’ experiences. We mainly consider five attributes, namely, sex, age, number of visitors, number of visits and duration of stay in the park, in a questionnaire, and use the Kruskal–Wallis Test and Mann–Whitney U Test to analyze multigroup data in “SPSS for Windows”. The results are as follows: (1) Visitors with different attributes exhibit significant differences in terms of their choices of forest trails and the evaluation of visitor satisfaction in the duration of stay. (2) The correlation analysis showed that trail condition factors, such as the degree of difficulty and facility status, affect the satisfaction evaluation of tourists on many levels. In addition, the number of visits by visitors is negatively correlated with the preference for a forest trail based on recreational indicators. (3) Compared to visitors who stay in the forest for a short amount of time, visitors who remain in the forest for longer have a higher satisfaction level. Based on these results, we recommend that parks consider the number of visits (visiting experience) and the duration of stays in the forest when planning walking routes to more effectively plan forest park trails.

Pedestrian Network Analysis using a Network Consisting of Formal Pedestrian Facilities: Sidewalks and Crosswalks

Central to every pedestrian network analysis is the mapping of the network. Many studies have used street networks (SNs) to analyze connectivity. Recent studies suggest that analyses based on informal pedestrian networks (e.g., park trails, greenways, or shortcuts) may provide a more robust network representation, however, no studies have examined whether switching to a network consisting of formal pedestrian facilities (FPFs) (e.g., sidewalks and crosswalks) would provide more effective representation of real pedestrian movement and perceptions. Does it yield different outcomes compared to an SN? When does an SN still remain a good proxy, and when should a FPF network (FPFN) be adopted? How worthwhile is it to switch to a FPFN? To address these questions, this paper examines the difference between SNs and FPFNs and how the differences affect the outcomes of network measures. Four U.S. neighborhoods were selected to represent different types of networks. Four classic connectivity measures and four new measures related to crossings were evaluated using both SNs and FPFNs. Comparisons were conducted and the following conclusions drawn: (i) using FPFNs yields greatly different outcomes from using SNs, (ii) an SN can broadly describe the morphological features of a network, especially for a gridiron pattern with narrow streets and small blocks full of sidewalks and crosswalks; however, an FPFN performs much better in describing features which are invisible when using SNs; and (iii) using FPFNs can provide opportunities to develop new measures of performance, such as safety or convenience.

Perceived Health Outcomes of Mountain Bikers: A National Demographic Inquiry

Given the International Mountain Bike Association’s growing membership, mountain biking popularity, and industry growth, it is important to explore perceived health benefits and outcomes derived from the sport of mountain biking. Mountain biking is currently one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the world, but empirical documentation regarding outcomes from participation is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived health outcomes of mountain biking as they relate to different demographic groups in the United States. Data were collected using the Perceived Heath Outcomes of Recreation Scale, which measured recreation outcomes in terms of prevention, improvement, and psychological benefits from recreation participation in mountain biking. Results from this national study explored differences according to gender, age, membership, and regions. Findings suggest that women perceived higher psychological health outcomes, and men perceived higher health outcomes related to prevention. Older riders significantly perceived prevention-based health outcomes from mountain biking than their younger counterparts. No differences were found between prevention, psychological, and improvement outcomes related to membership. Regional analysis revealed a homogenous view of health outcomes from mountain bikers across the U.S. Land managers, outdoor advocacy groups, and commercial outfitters could use this research to promote the health benefits of mountain biking. Interestingly, and noteworthy from a public health perspective, mountain bikers who ride twice monthly, or every day, perceived similar outcomes. This provides support for the notion that mountain biking, even when participating with less frequency, bodes well as a possible recreation activity to address some of the challenges our society faces regarding unhealthy lifestyles. Recreation professionals could advocate for an alternative form of physical activity by introducing mountain biking to new audiences, while articulating the possible health benefits achieved from participation. This study may be useful to outdoor recreation programmers and public land use managers to better understand participants on park trails; and to allow for better recognition of benefits resulting from mountain biking on trails. Subscribe to JPRA

Sound grade classification with sound mapping of national park trails in South Korea

Most of the national parks in South Korea are exposed to noise pollution caused by urban noise from adjacent cities. Especially, the road-traffic noise from the roads passing through or surrounding the parks has increased the exposure. In addition, the military and tele-communication facilities located in ecologically sensitive highlands are noise sources and affect nearby ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to preserve and maintain a comfortable sound environment to ensure the quality of the park trails for visitors and the habitat of animals and plants. The purpose of this study is to map a sound environment of national parks in South Korea and to classify sound grades of park trails. The park trails were categorized into 5 different groups based on acoustic factors such as noise level, loudness, sharpness, roughness, and tonality, and environmental factors such as land-use, ground coverage, vegetation type, and relative location which can be obtained from biotope map and GIS DB. This classification was based on factor analysis and cluster analysis. It is expected that this sound grade classification of the national park trails meets the right of visitors to know the sound environment, and that the managers of national parks can use it as a guideline to create a positive sound environment.

Impacto de resíduos sólidos urbano no comportamento do pH e matéria orgânica do solo de uma bacia hidrográfica localizada em Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

A bacia hidrográfica da Lagoa Comprida (BHLC) sofre o impacto do uso e ocupação de sua área devido à expansão urbana de Aquidauana/MS. Objetivou-se analisar a relação entre resíduos sólidos (kg/m²), orgânico (RO) e inorgânico (RI), e o comportamento do pH e matéria orgânica (MO) (mg/dm³) do solo da BHLC. Abriram-se na BHLC cinco trincheiras de 1 m² de superfície e 40 cm de profundidades em três pontos: local de um Antigo Lixão Municipal (ALM); duas áreas onde se encontra o Parque da Lagoa Comprida (Centro do Parque – ACP e Trilha Ecológica do Parque – TEP). De cada trincheira, peneirou-se o solo, separando-se os RO e RI; e determinou-se a MO e pH. Para a granulometria realizaram-se amostragens compostas nas profundidades 0-20 e 20-40 cm, sendo a textura dos solos nas áreas franco-arenosas. RI e RO relacionaram-se negativamente com MO e pH respectivamente. ACP e TEP apresentaram os maiores valores para RO e MO. ALM apresentou o maior valor para RI e pH. Conclui-se que o pH na ACP e TEP foi ácido, possivelmente associado à MO em decomposição. Os RI podem estar contribuindo nos teores da MO na área do ALM, o que demonstra a importância de cuidados nos locais onde despejam lixos.

Assessing recreation carrying capacity of the environment attributes based on visitors’ willingness to pay

ABSTRACTRecreation carrying capacity (RCC) is one of the most important indictors used in measuring the usage limits for the forest park resources. However, the consensus has not been reached with respect to the RCC’s content and its measuring metrics. In this paper, we attempt to establish a new RCC theoretical framework based on the demand theory of the tourism product characteristics. In the process, the choice experiment and orthogonal design methods are used in questionnaire designs and the conditional Logit model is used for parameter estimates. More than 700 park visitors are surveyed for data collection at the Shenyang National Forest park of Liaoning province in China. The primary park attributes being considered encompass vegetation, coverage, water quality, number of rubbish on the park trail path, admission fees, and congestion. The carrying capacity threshold for each specific attribute is identified.

News Briefs

REI Foundation awards $1 million for National Park trail maintenance. Congress mulls bill to require federal oversight of Red Cross. American Express awards $2 million under preservation grants program. Bank of America launches $40 million youth job training initiative. Mary Kay Foundation awards $1.3 million for cancer research. NFL awards $10 million to combat sexual assault. Wells Fargo awards $2.6 million for environmental projects. Study offers pointers for aligning grantmaking with Sustainable Development Goals.